ANNOUNCEMENTS
In developmental stages of plant, heat stress has been shown to have deleterious repercussions. In crops like tomato, vegetative as well as reproductive stages are affected, resulting in reduced crop yield. To combat such adverse environmental conditions, plants need to respond fast to adapt and survive. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) have emerged as key molecular regulators of several important processes in growth and development as well as in response to various environmental stresses. However, an exhaustive study on heat responsive miRNAs in tomato is still elusive. In plants, MIR169 family is conserved and their imperative regulatory role in plant development under stress conditions is well documented in literature. Moreover, antagonistic regulon of MIR169:NF-YA (NUCLEAR TRANSCRIPTION FACTOR Y SUBUNIT ALPHA) pair in fruit bearing model plant like tomato under heat stress has not yet been clearly established. Therefore, in the present study for functional characterization of MIR169e under heat stress, the screening of overexpression lines of Sly-miR169e precursor (Sly-miR169e-OX) lines and for detail understanding of expression regulation, promoter:reporter (Sly-pMIR169e:GUS) lines in Arabidopsis were generated. Additionally, comparative in-silico analysis was also performed to determine difference in putative regulatory element in the promoter sequences and precursor sequences of MIR169 in cultivated tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) and a wild tomato species (Solanum pennellii). This study will lead to comprehend the functional role of MIR169e in providing heat stress tolerance in tomato plants.
Keywords: Tomato, MIRNA169, heat stress, NF-Y, promoter-analysis
